Seán WALSH

WHEN most people think of Sean Walsh they think of ‘the leap’ - Kevin Coleman’s icon shot of Walsh rising above Brian Mullins in the 1979 All-Ireland Final - and thereafter they firmly regard the Tralee man as a midfielder par

excellence, which, indeed, he was.

Ask most people where else Walsh played on those great Kerry teams of the late 70s and early 80s and they will - correctly - say full-back, because the common perception is that the Kerins O’Rahillys man started out as a fresh-faced midfielder alongside Jack O’Shea, and then reverted back to full back when John O’Keeffe handed over the no.3 jersey. But there was much more to Walsh, as regards being a versatile and adaptable footballer.

Consider this: in his first two seasons with the Kerry team Sean Walsh lined out at midfield, right-half forward and, for the most part, full forward.

Indeed, in the 1977 League and Championship Walsh started seven games in the no.14 jersey and scored a goal in five of those contests. For a man widely regarded as a midfielder/full-back, Walsh scored an impressive 12 goals and 49 points in his Kerry career.

Walsh’s second All Star was won at midfield, in 1981, but his first was at centre-forward, two years earlier, even if he only started the All-Ireland semi-final win in that position.

As a mark of Walsh’s incredible versatility, even in the twilight of his career, in the 1987 League, he played two games as full back, and three at full forward.